De Beers’ International Institute of Diamond Grading & Research (IIDGR) will soon be offering two of its diamond education courses in Simplified Chinese. This will help “students in one of the largest and fastest growing markets for diamond jewellery to enhance their knowledge of the industry”, the institute said while making its announcement.

From March 1, IIDGR will begin by offering the online Diamond Foundation Course, which was launched last year. This is the first course in the diamond learning field which covers the entire diamond pipeline. Later this year, IIDGR will launch the Polished Diamond Grading Course which is yet to be translated.

“The courses have been designed to support flexible learning that minimises the impact on students’ daily lives and allows for personalisation of the learning experience,” IIDGR stated. “The Diamond Foundation Course is a completely online course, while the Polished Diamond Grading Course is a two-part course that involves distant learning via textbooks and online testing in the first instance, followed by a one week lab-based element.”

The courses are open to both, those already part of the diamond industry as well as those outside wishing to further their knowledge of diamonds and the diamond industry in general.

Jodine Perrin, Director of Education, IIDGR, said: “We’ve seen a lot of interest in our education services since they were launched last year, so translating these courses into Simplified Chinese was a logical next step to expand our offering. We see great potential for flexible and fully comprehensive education courses for those already working in the diamond industry in China, or who may wish to in the future.”

Jonathan Kendall, President, IIDGR, said: “Providing high-quality learning experiences, backed by the unrivalled diamond knowledge and expertise of De Beers Group, is an important priority for IIDGR and we are delighted to be launching our education services to a new audience in one of the world’s largest consumer markets for diamonds.”